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Election: Gordon to serve second Assembly term

Assemblyman Rich Gordon cruised to an easy victory Nov. 6 against Republican challenger Chengzhi "George" Yang, taking 70 percent of the vote in the race for the newly drawn Assembly District 24.

Mr. Gordon, a Menlo Park resident, now represents District 21, which includes Menlo Park, Atherton, Woodside, Portola Valley, East Palo Alto, and Palo Alto. With redistricting, the same area will become part of District 24.

The district has been reshaped to encompass areas including Mountain View, Sunnyvale, and most of the San Mateo County coastside from El Granada south.

Mr. Gordon was first elected to the Assembly two years ago. Before going to Sacramento, the Menlo Park resident had served on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

Mr. Gordon, who chairs the California Legislative Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Caucus, had plenty to celebrate election night. In addition to his own re-election, he was pleased to see voters in Maine and Maryland legalize gay marriage.

In a statement, he also cited the decision by Wisconsin voters to elect Tammy Baldwin to the U.S. Senate, where she is now the first openly gay member.

"From coast to coast, voters exercised their civic duty and voted with their minds and their hearts," he wrote. "Unswayed by the torrent of money and spread of misinformation, voters did not bow down to incredible intimi-dation and pressure to dismantle all the progress we have accomplished so far."

— Palo Alto Weekly staff

Other election results

• San Mateo County Board of Education, Trustee Area 7 (one to be elected): Joe Ross, 93,568; Jo-Ann "Sockolov" Byrne, 67,234.

• San Mateo County Harbor District, members, Board of Commissioners (three to be elected): Sabrina Brennan, 90,950; Leo Padreddii, 74,644; Pietro Parravano, 69,170; Will Holsinger, 64,819; Neil Merrilees, 47,314; Brandon Kwan, 23,208.